


The Better Part of Me

by idra



Series: 21 Days of Fic (April 2016) [19]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - High School, First house, Graduation, Home vs. House, Howard & Maria Stark's deaths, M/M, Marriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-02
Updated: 2016-05-02
Packaged: 2018-06-05 20:01:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6720919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idra/pseuds/idra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony gets some bad news and makes a decision that may or may not be a good one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Better Part of Me

**Author's Note:**

> I am so very late with this. This challenge should've been done by Saturday April 30. Obviously, as it's May 1st, I'm late. Especially since this particular fic should've been posted on the 28th of April. Ooops. It's here though and it's longer than it would've been if I'd posted it right away. Enjoy.

Steve frowns when he spots Tony in the cafeteria, hours before their graduation. Tony is curled up as much as he can on the bench of their usual table and he's surrounded by Pepper, Rhodey and the rest of their friends. Steve jogs over there, immediately wrapping his arms around Tony. "What? What is it?" When Tony only responds with a sob, Steve looks at Rhodey, glaring as best he can. "Rhodey?"

Rhodey opens his mouth, then closes it and looks away. Pepper places her hand on Rhodey's arm and smiles sadly. "You know Howard and Maria were up in San Francisco for some conference thing, right?"

"Yeah, they were driving back last night to get here in time for graduation." Steve flinches a little at the look Pepper gives him and puts two and two together. Howard had finally started to come around and actually be a decent father to Tony and he'd helped Maria climb out of the bottle long enough to see that Tony was a brilliant young man who deserved so much more than they had given him. And now Steve feared the worst-- Tony's parents had to be gone or Tony wouldn't be this upset.

"They were driving down the PCH and you know it was storming pretty bad along the coast..." Pepper licks her lips and rubs at Tony's back. "Howard lost control of the car. At least, that's what the cops told Tony just a couple of minutes ago."

"Where were you, Steve?" Rhodey asks, eyes narrowed as he looks at Steve. 

"Talking to the Barnes'." Steve murmurs it, but he focuses his attention on Tony. Rhodey can be pissed off all he wants, but that's not going to change the fact that Steve is here now. "Tony? Baby? Tell me what I can do?"

Tony shifts a little and wraps himself around Steve. "Don't leave me too. Please, don't leave me."

"Never," Steve murmurs, kissing the top of Tony's head. He tightens his arms around Tony and just holds him for several long minutes. "Do you want to go through with graduation? We can go right now and do whatever you want."

Tony sniffles and lifts his head. "So if I said let's go to Vegas and get married?"

"I'm only seventeen until the 4th of July, but if you can get the Barnes' to agree, I'm in." Steve kisses him softly.

"Really?" Tony smiles a little and nods. "After graduation?"

"Yes." Steve kisses him again and hugs him, smiling brightly. "I definitely want to be your husband," he murmurs, kissing him once again. He pulls back and brushes his fingers over Tony's cheeks. "Can you make it through your valedictorian speech?"

Tony nods, then looks behind Steve. "Jarvis!" He climbs off Steve and runs over to Jarvis, hugging the other man. "Did they tell you?"

"Yes, Master Tony." Jarvis looks at the group of friends Tony didn't even really realize were all there for him. "Happy came and got me earlier than I had planned to be here. I'm so sorry for the loss of your parents, young one."

Tony nods and pulls back. "Jarvis, will you talk to the Barnes' for me?" 

"About what, Master Tony?"

"I want to take Steve to Vegas and get married, but we can't unless they okay it. He's only seventeen until July."

"Then why not wait?" Jarvis asks, one eyebrow raised as he looks at Steve over Tony's shoulder.

Steve moves up beside them, placing his hand on the small of Tony's back. "We could, if the Barnes' don't approve, but I'd rather Tony get what he wants."

"And what I want is to be married to Steve." Tony pulls back a little and leans into Steve's touch. "Jarvis, I swear, this is my idea. Steve didn't suggest this, I did."

Steve smiles at Jarvis. "Get the lawyers to put together a pre-nup. I don't want anything from Tony but his love. I promise you." He opens his mouth but pauses when Pepper and Rhodey join them. 

Pepper smiles at Jarvis. "Tell the lawyers to put in the pre-nup that no matter what, should there be a divorce or dissolution of marriage of any kind, Steve gets nothing except what he brings to the marriage. Even if one of them cheats," she holds up her hand to cut off the protests from both men, "which will not likely happen, but in case." She looks at both men. "Agreed?"

Steve nods, frowning. "I would never cheat on Tony though."

"And I would never cheat on Steve, so there." Tony sticks his tongue out at Pepper, then looks at Jarvis. "Please? Jarvis, please!" 

"As you wish, sir," Jarvis nods in acquiescence.

Tony smiles and hugs Jarvis. "Thank you!"

A few hours later, Tony and Steve meet up in the parking lot by Tony's limo. They hug and lean against the vehicle, waiting for the rest of their family. "Are we really getting married?" Tony asks, looking up at Steve.

"If you still want to. Jarvis said the Barnes' signed the paperwork. And I signed the pre-nup." Steve smiles. "Are we taking our friends?"

"Hell yes. I'm not getting married without all our friends there," Tony says leaning up and kissing Steve. "If I wasn't so... sad, right now, I'd be willing to wait, but marrying you is something I will never regret."

Steve nods. "I feel the same. I mean, I'm sad for you, but I want to be your husband. I don't care about the rest of it."

They stop talking as the rest of their friends join them. Bucky slaps Steve on the back and hugs him. "We did it, bro!" 

"We graduated!" Steve says, hugging Bucky back. He pulls away, smiling brightly. "And I'm about to go get married."

"Come on, everyone," Tony says. "Let's get in the limo and we'll get going to the airport and be in Vegas in a couple of hours."

Everyone clambers into the limo and off they go.

It's a week later when Tony and Steve roll back up to the mansion sans friends and only Happy and Jarvis to accompany them. "Well, we're home," Tony mumbles, pressed tight to Steve's side. "We can tear it down and build something else, or we can buy something else. Or... I don't know. If you want. We can have something else."

"What do you want, Tony?" Steve murmurs against the top of Tony's head. "Because I'm here for you. Whatever you want. If you want to get a different house, we will. But whatever we do, it has to be your decision," he adds before he lifts his head, meeting Jarvis' eyes.

"Stay here. For a while at least," Tony replies, pulling back and smiling sadly. "Suppose we should go in and start working on my parents' funerals."

"We can do that. But first, lets get some lunch and then we have to meet with your dad's lawyers about the will, remember?" Steve says it as gently as he can, still holding onto Tony as the other man shudders in his arms. "I know, baby. It sucks. We'll get through this though, I promise."

Tony nods and pulls away, straightening his back. "Let's go get through with this."

Steve climbs out of the limo behind Tony and he looks at Tony's house-- their house now. It's ridiculously huge, but he knows that Howard had had it built from bottom to top. It doesn't really quite suit him or Tony, but it's also Tony's family home. He follows Tony into the kitchen and glances at Jarvis. "Do you mind if I make us lunch, Jarvis?"

"I've already ordered in some Thai food. Perhaps you could make dinner for yourself and Tony."

Steve nods. "Jarvis, I know you don't like me much, but I truly do have Tony's best interests at heart. I love him. I know what it's like to lose your parents and have everything in your life ripped away from you. I can support him through this and I would like to have your support as well. I know how much you mean to him and I don't want to change that." Steve sighs and licks his lips. "I better get in there."

"Master Rogers... Steven, it's not that I don't like you. It's just that I've seen many young men and women use Master Tony to get to his father or his wealth. That's all people see when they look at Tony."

"I don't care about that stuff. Honestly, Jarvis. I'm just a kid from Brooklyn. Money? It's just fancy printed paper. It doesn't really matter when it comes down to people. At least it shouldn't." Steve looks around, then smiles at Jarvis. "I've never had a house before. But I don't care about all these trappings. As long as I have Tony as my husband? I have a home and that's more important than anything money can buy."

Jarvis watches as Steve heads inside, calling out for Tony. He truly believes that Steve is the right person for Tony, but he can't help but be protective of his charge. Tony has always been like a son to him, so he'll always watch out for him. Even if it means estranging Tony's beloved husband to some degree.

~the end, for now~


End file.
